Football is back! 20,000 fans packed a sold out Tom Benson Stadium, which sits adjacent to the Hall of Fame, to witness the Cowboys Steelers match-up and officially kick off the 2021 pre-season. The final result was that the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 16-3 but there were several positive takeaways for Cowboys fans and a few players who stood really stood out. Here are some of my observations from last night’s game:
GARRETT GILBERT LOOKED LIKE A TYPICAL BACK UP
For now he is the primary backup behind Dad Prescott, but I am not sold on him. I am sure the Cowboys will scan the waiver wire as some veterans get cut near the end of camp. He wasn’t perfect in any regard. He nearly had two passes intercepted and he did fumble, although it was recovered by one of his offensive lineman. But, he did have a few nice plays as well highlighted by a crisp 21 yard pass from his own end zone to Cedric Wilson. Overall he moved the offence pretty well but they stalled in the red zone, which has been a common issue the last couple seasons. The supporting cast around him wasn’t the greatest either but that was to be expected since most of the Cowboys starters weren’t playing.
MICAH PARSONS CAN PLAY
The Cowboys knew they had something special when they drafted Parson’s 11th overall in the 2021 NFL draft. In this game he did not disappoint. In the first quarter, he alertly pounced on a loose ball to recover a fumble. He was all over the field making plays and he showed great instincts with a key second down stop. He looked like a top tier linebacker out there and Cowboys fans should be not worried about how the rookie will perform this season.
NAHSHON WRIGHT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT
Many Cowboy fans were up in arms when the Cowboys shockingly selected Nahshon Wright in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Wright may be winning some of those fans over with a strong camp and he looked very impressive in his pre-season debut. Wright did not look like a rookie out there and should be in strong consideration as a potential starter opposite Trevon Diggs. He may have gotten beat on the long pass to Chase Claypool, but it did look like Claypool pushed off. Wright also stepped up to make some great open field tackles. The battle between Wright, Kelvin Joseph, and Anthony Brown will be very competitive in the coming weeks. If Nahshon Wright continues to perform like he did in last night’s Cowboys Steelers game, I am quite comfortable with him earning the starting CB spot.
LA’EL COLLINS RETURNS
After missing the entire 2020 season it was great to see La’el Collins on the field. He reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape last year but this year he shed 15 pounds and looks rather lean and mean. Collins played very well in the two series he played in. Cowboys fans are hoping that Collins can anchor that right side with Zack Martin and once again become one of the more dominant right side combinations in the entire NFL.
SEAN MCKEON CONTINUES TO SHINE
While its unclear what role on offence the Cowboys will have for the second year tight end, he keeps showing up and making plays. He has done it in Oxnard and last night as well against the Steelers. He made 2 catches for 26 yards and kept drives alive with key first downs. The Cowboys know that Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz will be the top two guys on the depth chart, but Mckeon is definitely in the mix and should contribute on special teams.
RICO DOWDLE HAS THE STEELERS NUMBER
It seems that when Rico Dowdle plays the Steelers, he plays his best. Last year he had 8 carries for 43 yards, and last night he made the play of the night with a reception for a 12 yard gain. He was lined on the right side and made a great catch over the middle. Look for Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to use this same formation with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the regular season.
These are the players that stood out most to me and their performances were among the many positives that Cowboys fans can take away from this game. Though it may have only been a meaningless pre-season game, it was great just to watch football again. The fact that it was Cowboys Steelers and that it was a full stadium only added to the excitement and I;m sure most fans will agree that it is a welcome feeling after an utterly disappointing 2020 campaign.
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